Melas
/ˈmɛl.æs/noun
A Greek adjective meaning black or dark; also used in scientific names and borrowed forms.
Did you know?The same ancient root behind *melas* also surfaces in words like *melancholy*—literally “black bile,” a medieval theory that linked darkness of the body to darkness of the mind.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mel-
“to be dark, black”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέλας (mélas)
“black, dark”
Classical Greek
Greek
μέλαινα (mélaina)
“feminine form: black, dark”
Late Latin
Latin
melancholia
“black bile; a state of gloom or depression”
Middle English
English
melancholy
“deep sadness or depression”
Modern English
English
melanin / melanoma
“dark pigment / a malignant tumor of pigment-producing cells”
Explore more surprising origins